I have finished the 3 official weeks of my residency on the island of Kökar and now I am quickly travelling through mainland Finland for a final week, to put a cap on this amazing experience. Below are some images of the lichen that I have been studying while at Kökar, which will probably feature in my next series.On arriving in mainland Finland I travelled to Salo to walk in one of their numerous forests and see their rural landscape. Then I visited Helsinki and payed particuar attention to their design stores and galleries as well as visiting their contemporary art gallery, Kiasma. Now I am on my way to Rovaniemi to catch a glimpse of Lapland, the land of the midnight sun and unforgiving nature.Follow the link to Artek, a Finnish design company that has been operating since 1935 and still produces the world class products it is known for, as well as new and innovative design. The Finns are very proud of their design products and will keep these objects in their family for generations as well as buying the new ones. They believe that good design should be available for everyone, not just those who can afford expensive things. The objects themselves are thought through, have a respect for the material they use and the tradition from which they came. For a country that is so young compared to the rest of Europe they have done well to have a strong sense of who they are and produce objects that are uniquely theirs and are competitive in the world market.

I am 2 weeks into my 3 week residency in Finland and so far it has been wonderful. The history of the area, both geologically and archaeologically, is very interesting. The islands were once mountains, the changes to the earth's crust lowered them and then a huge glacier covered them completely and forced them under the sea. Once the glacier melted they slowly rose back out of the Baltic Sea and are still doing so today. There have been people living here since the Stone Age and traces can still be seen of these early settlers. Occupying a key position in the Baltic Sea, the islands have played an important role in fishing, trade and war over the centuries.

The islands are beautiful, varied and unique. Having the time to explore this area and emerse myself in this landscape has been invaluable. It has given me the time to be inspired and follow up any interests with research. I have been looking at the shape of the islands themselves, the lichen that grows on their rocks, and the variation in character of their woods.